October 08, 2018

Microsoft brings Android app mirroring to Windows 10. Most of us use our phones for most photos and texts. But, getting those photos and texts to our windows computers can be a hassle. Since all my photos and texts are in the Google cloud, or are sent to Google Photos in the cloud, I can access them within the Chrome browser. But, for many Windows users, building app mirroring to Windows 10 is the answer. Microsoft promises more robust Android mirroring in the future. But, for now, Microsoft is innovating, and this is a good sign. Sorry, Apple users, you can't do this. Just another reason to switch to Android. Boom.

October 02, 2018

Windows 7 vs. Windows 10: 5 Reasons Your Old Love Is Still Going Strong. Hey, I get it. I hate the tile interface of Windows 10 also. The first thing I do when I install a new computer is buy a copy of Start 10 for Five bucks, and go back to the Windows 7 desktop interface. But, Windows 10 is 3 years old, and there are many security improvements. There are still some who say that, forced updates, and the tiled interface, and lack of support for some legacy software, keeps many users on Windows 7. And, despite what Microsoft says, older computers can't always handle the load created by Windows 10. So, when it comes to operating systems, as long as you are using one that keeps up with security updates, use what you want. Remember, it's about the software you need to use. Compute that.

September 23, 2018

Malwarebytes Review - 2018 Malwareybtes Free And Premium - We Hate Malware. You can try Malwarebytes Premium for 14 days free. But, as Bill Gordon writes here, the anticipatory protection provided by Malwarebytes Premium is worth the $39 a year cost. For $49 a year, you can protect 3 computers. It is light, fast, sits quietly in the background, and blocks nasty websites and viruses. It even provides protection against ransomware, which is becoming a problem in law firms and other organizations. Like Bill, I have tried them all, and I highly recommend this product. It occasionally gives false positives; but, I would rather that and be sure I am getting the bad stuff out. Along with using two factor authentication, you need to do this to protect your computer and your data. If you don't, don't call me when something bad happens. This is the first software I install when I get a new computer. Just set it and forget it. Boom.

September 17, 2018

Hands-on with Windows 10's new 'Your Phone' Android SMS features. The next big update to Windows 10 will be available for your computer in October, and it includes the new YourPhone app that controls and syncs your smartphone on the desktop. You will be able to send, receive and read SMS text messages as well as sync all the photos on the phone. So far, the app only works with Android phones; so, if you have an iPhone you are out of luck. If you live in Google Chrome, you already have SMS capability in the Android messages browser screen; but, having it available on the Windows desktop will certainly be a nice addition.

September 05, 2018

Execupundit.com: And Now for a Minor Rant. Execupundit loves books and doesn't like the complicated non-intuitive commands and procedures in modern software. But, he forgets that, to someone that is not interested enough to learn, even books can be a complex jungle of words. As lawyers, we must study and become "expert" in many things, since cases require it. If you apply the same time, interest, and effort to applied technology that you do to building a library and keeping it organized, you might find that you are a hidden techie after all.

August 29, 2018

The Untold Story of NotPetya, the Most Devastating Cyberattack in History | WIRED. This is a complex story of large scale hacking that caused billions of dollars of damage across the globe. It is a story of major corporations that were seemingly unconcerned about computer security. And, it is a story that illuminates the fact that, no matter how large or small you are, any computer connected to the Internet can be destroyed by a large cyber hacking operation. What can you do to prevent it from happening to you? Not a lot; but, something. One of the ways this spread was in corporations that had computers running Windows 2000 in a Windows 10 world. Windows 2000? I will bet that some businesses are still running 10 and 20 year old operating systems. In fact, multi-factor authentication is a necessity in the modern world. Every computer user should read, and try to understand, this article. It is your future. Hackers. They really are out to get you.

August 28, 2018

Start10 : Software from Stardock. Do you miss the start menu in Windows 7? So did I. So, I did something about it. I paid five bucks for Stardock's Start10 software, which restores the Start menu, and saves me time and effort looking for programs. Next to putting icons on the Task Bar, this little program is the second thing I install on any new computer, after Malwarebytes. There is something comforting about never seeing a tiled interface again. Well, you can if you want to. I have never felt the need.

August 20, 2018

Android 9 Pie revisited: Our 7 most favorite and 3 least liked features. As I wait for my Essential phone, and am anxious to test Android 9 Pie, I am reading some reviews by tech journalists. This one, by Rita El Khoury, is pretty comprehensive, listing what she likes and dislikes. I agree with some, and disagree with others; but, I want to wait until I can have my own hands on experience before I comment. For now, it doesn't appear that Pie is going to be revolutionary, or particularly innovative. Rita's summary?

"Pie isn't a revolutionary update, yet it still packs more useful features and incremental improvements than we noted here, along with a few other unwanted changes."

My initial impression is that I am going to like the gesture based switching between screens and apps. It looks like a nod to the original Palm Pre Web OS that was way ahead of its time. I am used to swiping on my Smartwatch, and I don't like static icons much anyway.

Android Pie (Go edition) launches this fall with more features | Android and Me. While most flagship phones are running Android 8, the pure Android phones, (Pixel and Essential) are getting Android 9 (Pie), and, when my Essential phone is delivered, I will be checking out the current version of Android, and its new features. The Go edition of some of the Android apps promise big improvements in the Fall, and now is the time to check them out. I can't wait to have my pie, and eat it too.

June 09, 2018

Start10 : Software from Stardock. Ever since Windows 10 came out, and the tiled interface (formerly known as Metro) became the default way to use Windows, many of us have looked for ways to avoid tiles, and go back to the Windows 7 style menu system. The best Five bucks I have spent in a long time was for this little software gem, Start 10. Once installed, you can default to the old style Windows desktop, and work from there for everything you do in Windows 10. I won't install a new computer or new Windows device without it. If you are still rummaging around pages of tiles, check out Start10.

Lawyer,Poet, author, educator. Practices real property, corporation, wills, trusts and estates law in Pinellas County, Florida. Writes the FutureLawyer column. Gives seminars on technology and the law. Author of "Life is Simple, Really", Poems about Life, Loving, Family and Fun.